ARCO regrets to inform its members of the death of Captain Pat Kilgannon, late of Newbridge, County Kildare. Died peacefully in the excellent care of Saint Brigid’s Hospice, Curragh, Kildare on 27th January 2026. Predeceased by Jean, his wife, and by John and Mary his brother and sister. Missed now by Carol, Jerry, Mary, Ann and David, grandchildren Molly, Troy, Ruth and Jane, brother and sister Chris and Breege, his nieces, nephews, in-laws, friends and Defence Forces comrades.
Patrick J (Pat) Kilgannon was born in Sligo town on 17th March 1941. He enlisted as a trainee fitter armourer at the Army Apprentice School, Devoy Barracks, Naas on 15th October 1956 and was posted to 4 Garrison Ordnance Company in 1959. He served as a Sergeant with A Company 42 Infantry Battalion UNFICYP in Cyprus from April to September 1965, and as a Sergeant with Headquarter Company 25 Infantry Group UNEF II in the Sinai from November 1973 to May 1974. He was selected as a student on 3 Potential Officers Course and was commissioned into the Artillery Corps on 14th June 1976. Among the Artillery Corps units that Pat served with were Depot Artillery, 6 Field Artillery Regiment (FCA), and 1 Air Defence Regiment. Pat was Assistant Quartermaster, 73 Infantry Battalion UNIFIL in Lebanon from April to November 1993. Pat’s final appointment was with the Supply and Services Unit, Defence Forces Training Centre, from where he retired from Óglaigh na hÉireann on 16th March 2001.
An All Army Marksman with the Gustaf SMG, Pat won All Army Shooting Competitions with the very successful Air Defence Regiment and 6 Regiment teams. A talented sportsman he played inter-county football with Sligo and represented Connaught in the Railway Cup. However, a serious knee injury ended a very promising Inter County career. Pat was an enthusiastic single handicap member of the Royal Curragh Golf Club and of Curragh Army Officers Golf Society and represented the Curragh Command with distinction.
Reposing in Anderson and Leahy’s Funeral Home, Henry Street, Newbridge on Thursday from 4pm until 7pm. There will be a service for friends and family to remember Pat at 1pm on Friday 30th January at Anderson and Leahy’s Funeral Home, to which all are welcome, followed by interment afterwards in Saint Conleth’s Cemetery, Newbridge at 2pm.
Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to The Friends of Saint Brigid’s Hospice, The Curragh.
Members may wish to leave personal messages in the ‘Condolences’ section of Pat’s death notice on rip.ie at: https://rip.ie/death-notice/patrick-kilgannon-kildare-newbridge-619674
